Intermediate connector for heddle supporting beam

ABSTRACT

Connector for multi-part heddle supporting beam of a loom. The confronting ends of the two adjacent parts of the shaft are provided with hollow facing formations, an insert part being disposed in each of such hollow formations and rigidly connecting them together. The confronting ends of the beam portions proper may be spaced from each other by an insert, the exposed portion of the insert providing means to which beam supporting and moving hooks are attached, and also as a means to which a cross rod connecting two heddle supporting beams in parallel spaced relationship may be attached. Alternatively, the beam supporting means may be attached to an insert within the beam by fastening means extending through the walls of the beam.

United States Patent Wagner June 17, 1975 Primary Examiner--Henry S. .laudon ABSTRACT Connector for multi-part heddle supporting beam of a loom. The confronting ends of the two adjacent parts of the shaft are provided with hollow facing formations, an insert part being disposed in each of such hollow formations and rigidly connecting them together. The confronting ends of the beam portions proper may be spaced from each other by an insert, the exposed portion of the insert providing means to which beam supporting and moving hooks are attached, and also as a means to which a cross rod connecting two heddle supporting beams in parallel spaced relationship may be attached. Alternatively, the beam supporting means may be attached to an insert within the beam by fastening means extending through the walls of the beam.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [76] Inventor: Theodor Wagner. Heppstr. 149, Reutlingen-Betzingen. Germany [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 430,035

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 4, I973 Germany 7300227 [52] US. Cl. 139/91 [51] Int. Cl. D03c 9/06 [58] Field of Search 139/9l, 92; 287/114; 285/66 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.944.571 7/l960 Pfarrwaller l39/9l 3,l55,ll8 ll/l964 Kaufmann l39/9l I INTERMEDIATE CONNECTOR FOR HEDDLE SUPPORTING BEAM This invention relates to an intermediate connector for a loom beam such as a heddle supporting beam. In the illustrative embodiment, the beam includes two spaced parallel main-abutment beam sections which are maintained in position relative to each other by a plurality of cross rods spaced along their length and extending therebetween. More particularly, the invention relates to an arrangement wherein the main-abutment beam sections are of multi-part construction, and said beam sections are joined by connectors which strengthen the beam sections and serve as points of attachment of the means for supporting and reciprocating the beam, and as points of attachments for the said cross rods.

Multi-part main beams with intermediate connectors are known, such construction serving to avoid the bending of elongated beams of the character indicated. In one such construction screw threaded rod inserts are threaded into the threaded confronting ends of the beam sections. Such construction permits the inserts to extend into the ends of the parts of the beam sections through predetermined distances.

In the case of multi-part main beams there is the danger of an unpredicted weakening of the flexibility of the beam at certain positions, whereby increased amount of power is required in the driving of the beam.

The present invention provides a construction in which intermediate connectors are attached to multipart beam sections of a loom in such a way as to prevent unwanted weakening of the beam sections.

In accordance with the invention the confronting ends of the beam sections are made of hollow shape, the hollow beam sections being strengthened by inserted parts extending thereinto. In the illustrative embodiment the inserts are exposed for a substantial distance between the confronting ends of the beam sections. Such exposed portions of the inserts afford means for the attachment thereto of beam supporting and reciprocating means, and also means for attachment of a cross rod for connecting and maintained an accurately spaced position of such connected multipart beams. The inserts have a section of such shape and size as snugly to fit within the hollow end portions of the beam sections, thereby to provide an excellent stiffening of the beam; as a result, the thus connected and stiffened beam when driven acts as a rigid member. The inserts may be affixed to the beam sections by screws driven through the wall of the beam sections and extending into the insert. This results in a strong attachment of the various parts of the organization together, and is very important where the insert functions simultaneously to support the means whereby the beam is supported and reciprocated.

In the accompanying drawings showing nonlimiting embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a first embodiment of a loom beam having multi-part main-abutment beam sections;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the arrangement of FIG. 1, the view showing the points of connection between two spaced parallel mainabutment beam sections and the cross rod between the inserts of the respective connectors at the location B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section through the upper portion of FIG. 2, the section being taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the upper portion of FIG. 2 of the connectors at locations A and C in FIG. 1, certain of the parts being shown in elevation and others of the parts being shown in vertical section.

Turning now to the first illustrative embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the loom shaft there shown has two spaced parallel two-part main-abutment beams on rods, the upper main beams being shown as having two sections 1, 2, and the lower main beam being shown as having two sections 3, 4. The other ends of beam sections 1 and 3 are connected by an end stay 20 and the other ends of beam sections 2 and 4 are connected by an end stay 21. The upper multi-part beam is connected through the lower multi-part beam by a plurality of intermediate cross rods 8 which are spaced longitudinally of the arrangement, as shown. Affixed to the cross rods 8 and the end stay 20, 21 are parallel upper and lower heddle support rails 11 and 12, respectively. The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 reciprocates in a vertical direction as indicated by the double headed arrow. Such arrangement is supported and guided by means (not shown) at the locations A, B and C spaced longitudinally of the arrangement.

In FIG. 2 there is shown the structure of the arrangement shown in FIG. I, wherein the sections I and 2 of the upper main-abutment beam and the sections 3 and 4 of the lower main-abutment beam part are joined at the location B in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the end portion of the beam section 1 is formed as a hollow rectangular profile; the similar ends of the beam sections 2, 3 and 4 are of the same shape as that of beam section 1. Inserts 5 and 6, respectively, of rectangular shape are inserted in the hollow ends of the beam sections 1 and 2 on the one hand and 3 and 4 on the other. Such inserts 5 and 6, which are made of strong rigid material such as synthetic resin, are driven into the ends of the confronting beam sections leaving an exposed portion Sa of the insert 5 and an exposed portion 6a of the insert 6. As shown, the cross section of inserts 5 and 6 throughout their length is the same as the inner configuration of the hollow portions of the beam sections to be joined. The inserts 5 and 6 are shown as being removably connected with the respective portions 5b and Sc of the upper beam sections and portions 6b and 6c of the lower beam sections by means 19, which may be screws, rivets or bolts extending through both walls of the hollow portions of the beam sections and through the inserts themselves. The inserts may also, by way of variation, be affixed to the hollow portions of the beam sections by strong adhesive such as epoxy resins.

Mounted upon the exposed portion of the upper insert 5 is a plate 9 to which there is connected a hook 13. A plate 10 is affixed to the lower exposed surface of the lower insert 6, the plate 10 having a hook 14 connected thereto. Plates 9 and 10 are connected to their respective inserts 5 and 6 by machine screws which extend through the plates and into tapped openings in the inserts. The machine screws at the top are designated 15 and 16, and those at the bottom are designated 17 and 18. A cross rod 8 has its opposite ends extending through bores in the inserts 5 and 6 as shown, the other ends of the rod 8 being threaded at and being screwed in tapped holes in the respective plates 9 and 10. The distance between the upper multi-part beam and the lower multi-part beam may be adjusted by removing the machine screws at one of the supporting plates 9 and 10, turning such supporting plate with respect to the rod 8, and then replacing the machine screws so as once more to attach the support plate to the insert. In FIG. 2 the passage in the insert receiving the upper end rod 8 is designated 50' and the passage in the insert 6 receiving the lower end of rod 8 is designated 6b.

The connector at each of location A and C in FIG. 1 is fragmentarily shown in FIG. 4 wherein parts generally similar to those of FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference characters with an added prime. The difference between the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and that of FIG. 4 is that whereas in the first embodiment the confronting ends of the beam sections 1 and 2 lie appreciably spaced from each other and the supporting plate 9 immediately overlies and engages an exposed surface of the insert between the sections of the beam, in FIG. 4 the beam section 1 is integral, and contains insert 5' which is assumed to have been preassembled therein by suitable conventional means, the passage Sd' extends not only through the insert 5 but also through the opposite walls of the beam section 1, and the support plate 9' is disposed on top of the upper surfaces of the beam section 1. Machine screws and 16 which extend through the beam 9' extend through tapped holes in the plate section 1 as well as into tapped holes in the insert 5'.

It will be understood that the insert 5 of the first em bodiment and the insert 5 of the second embodiment do not necessarily have to fill the entire cross section of the hollow portions of the beam sections. In order to insure that the multi-part beams are adequately stiff and strong at the points of connection A, B and C, the beam sections may, if desired, be formed of increased wall thickness at such points of connection.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to a plurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a plurality of preferred embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heddle frame arrangement having two spaced parallel hollow beams connected together by end stays and by cross rods intermediate the end stays, the ends of said cross rods being connected to plate-like supporting members secured to said hollow beams, an improved connecting means comprising a stiffening and strengthening insert disposed inside at least a first one of the hollow beams at the connecting place of the associated supporting member, said supporting member being secured to the outer wall of said first beam, the associated cross rod extending completely through said first beam and said insert.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means attaching said supporting member to both said outer wall of the first beam and to the insert.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first beam is formed with a pair of adjacent hollow beam sections, said cross rod being disposed at the connecting place of the adjacent sections of the first beam, said insert connecting the adjacent beam sections by being telescoped with its opposite ends within the spaced open ends of the adjacent beam sections, wherein said cross rod extends through the part of the insert exposed between the spaced ends of said adjacent beam sections and is provided at its ends with screw threads, and wherein said supporting member overlies the outer exposed surface of said exposed part of the insert, the adjacent end of the cross rod forming a screw-threaded connection with said supporting member.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the cross-section of the insert is complementary to the cross-section of the open end of each of the adjacent beam sections.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means connected to said supporting memher for reciprocating the first beam. 

1. In a heddle frame arrangement having two spaced parallel hollow beams connected together by end stays and by cross rods intermediate the end stays, the ends of said cross rods being connected to plate-like supporting members secured to said hollow beams, an improved connecting means comprising a stiffening and strengthening insert disposed inside at least a first one of the hollow beams at the connecting place of the associated supporting member, said supporting member being secured to the outer wall of said first beam, the associated cross rod extending completely through said first beam and said insert.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means attaching said supporting member to both said outer wall of the first beam and to the insert.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first beam is formed with a pair of adjacent hollow beam sections, said cross rod being disposed at the connecting place of the adjacent sections of the first beam, said insert connecting the adjacent beam sections by being telescoped with its opposite ends within the spaced open ends of the adjacent beam sections, wherein said cross rod extends through the part of the insert exposed between the spaced ends of said adjacent beam sections and is provided at its ends with screw threads, and wherein said supporting member overlies the outer exposed surface of said exposed part of the insert, the adjacent end of the cross rod forming a screw-threaded connection with said supporting member.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the cross-section of the insert is complementary to the cross-sectiOn of the open end of each of the adjacent beam sections.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means connected to said supporting member for reciprocating the first beam. 